


shipper goggles

by poiregourmande



Category: BuzzFeed Multiplayer - Fandom, Buzzfeed Tasty, In Control with Kelsey (Web Series)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:36:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21936733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poiregourmande/pseuds/poiregourmande
Summary: Kelsey's appearance on Alvin’s Making It Big is one of these rare exceptions to YouTube comment sections, which couldn’t be more harmonious — the unanimous observation is that Kelsey and Alvin were unequivocally on their first date.
Relationships: Kelsey Impicciche/Alvin Zhou
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11
Collections: RareBuzzShips Holiday Event





	shipper goggles

**Author's Note:**

> you should probably watch [kelsey's episode of alvin's making it big](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzQmpY0KIAc) before you read this, but it's not like, required to understand or anything.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that in the comment section of any YouTube video, people must be in disagreement about something. 

Through all her years making viral content, Kelsey’s found this to be true about 99.8% of the time. 

Her appearance on Alvin’s Making It Big is one of these rare exceptions.

This comment section couldn’t be more harmonious — the unanimous observation is that Kelsey and Alvin were unequivocally on their first date.

Now, Kelsey’s no stranger to being shipped with whoever she shares a screen with, and, as a fangirl herself, she gets it. She sees where they’re coming from, and if she watches the video from an outsider’s point of view, she sees the Looks, the banter, the “low-key flirting,” as some comments pointed out. She gets it. But it’s not like that! The camera has a way of skewing the reality (and the editing, too, like what’s up with that romantic music they put all over the drink break? Ship-baiting is what it is.)

Yep, their relationship is totally different in real life.

***

There’s just one teensy-tiny annoying thing about it.

Ever since she’s read the comments and put on the proverbial Shipper Goggles…

She’s seen Alvin differently. 

Like that time he came to her desk with a fresh batch of his legendary chocolate chip cookies saying he made too many… and gave them to her and none of her deskmates. (She shared with Zach and Jared, of course, but…)

Or that time he invited her to check out a new restaurant, because he hasn’t got many friends in LA yet, and she was honored that he considered her his friend, but he took the bill and walked her home.

Or that time he brought her coffee exactly the way she likes it, while she was eyebrows-deep in edits for the 100 Baby Challenge. 

Alvin can’t be coming onto her, right? 

The flirty banter between them on the show was just regular banter seen through Shipper Goggles, right?

After all, she hadn’t been flirting at that time, she should know.

But what if  _ he _ had been flirting? What if he invited her on the show to spend more time together? What if it’s not Shipper Goggles?

***

Kelsey decides to invite him for lunch to figure it out. (Because lunch is not an especially datey time of day, so the experiment wouldn’t be skewed by, y’know, dim lights and soft music and wine…)

She gives herself a Talk in the mirror of a single-stall bathroom before meeting him. 

“Right. Put down the Shipper Goggles. Alvin is a good friend and you both appreciate each other’s company. Go to lunch with an open mind, but don’t try to see clues where there are none. You got this! Attagirl!” She finger guns her own reflection and hurries to their meeting point in front of the reception desk. 

Spenser raises an eyebrow, like,  _ this is new, but cool _ , when Alvin hugs Kelsey hello.

_ So it’s not just in my head, right?  _ Kelsey’s thoughts already start to go wild.  _ If Spenser sees it it means there’s something to see! _

_ Take a deep breath, it’s just a hug for pete’s sakes, you’ve hugged people before, you’re a hugger! _

But all of Kelsey’s peptalk, all of her good intentions and interrogations and overthinking fly right out the window when they sit down in front of their poke bowls. Because Alvin looks bummed out. Like, a lot.

“Oh hey,” Kelsey says softly, “what’s going on?”

“Sorry,” Alvin shrugs, trying to paste on a very unconvincing smile. “I don’t wanna ruin lunch, I’m okay.”

“No you’re not.”

Alvin’s shoulders fall. “I’m not.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“It’s fine, I don’t wanna be a burden, let’s just eat.”

Kelsey puts a hand on his. “Alvin, we’re friends, right? You can talk to me.”

Alvin sighs. “Yeah, I know, it’s just… well all my family’s in New York, and I didn’t think it would be this hard to spend the holidays over here without them.” 

“Oh Alvin…” she squeezes his hand.

“I thought I could hang out with friends, or something, y’know, but everyone’s leaving town.”

“Why don’t you fly home?”

Alvin gives a self-conscious chuckle. “Can’t afford it.”

“Nope. That won’t do. I will not let a friend be alone on Christmas. Not on my watch.”

Alvin’s looking at her with a glimmer of hope, and she grins at him.

“I’ve got tons of frequent flyer miles left. You, my friend, are having an Impicciche Christmas.”

***

The following days are spent in a whirlwind of last minute errands — her Christmas shopping, which she probably should have tackled earlier, including gifts for Alvin so he doesn’t feel excluded; dress shopping because she feels like looking a bit fancy this year; Alvin’s plane ticket, etc. — so between all that and calling her mom to warn her she’s bringing a friend (“Yes, a boy. No, not my boyfriend. I just don’t want him to spend the holidays alone.”) there’s just no time to overthink about shipper goggles and crushes and flirting. 

Alvin, of course, makes an amazing first impression on Kelsey’s parents. He’s polite, and funny, and really sweet (and easy on the eyes) — Kelsey can already hear her parents asking why they’re not together,  _ he’s such a good boy, Kels _ .

Just before they go to bed, Alvin stops at the guest bedroom door and grins at Kelsey. “Can’t wait to teach you to make my chocolate chip cookies tomorrow.”

His grin stays with Kelsey long after she’s fallen asleep in her childhood bed.

***

Kelsey’s joined by Alvin in the kitchen bright and early the next morning.

“Couldn’t sleep?” she asks, hiding a yawn behind her hand.

“I wanted to make the cookies early, ‘cause the longer you let the dough rest, the better they are.”

Alvin’s smile is big, his eyes bright, and Kelsey can’t help but beam along with him. 

“Alright, then,” she says, tossing him an apron from a drawer and keeping one for herself. “Let’s make cookies!”

She bites back another yawn. “Or maybe just a cup of coffee first.”

***

Despite all of Kelsey’s begging, it’s eight at night before Alvin finally deems the cookies rested enough to bake them. (It took Kelsey everything she got not to eat the dough raw every time she opened the fridge, but that’s another story.)

“Cookies, then gifts,” Kelsey declares. “You guys have just enough time to finish your Scrabble game,” she tells her family.

Alvin had let Kelsey do most of the job, only being there as her guide, so pride swells inside of her as she sees her cookies turn golden brown through the oven window.

“They look like cookies!” she says, turning to grin at Alvin.

He was standing a bit closer than she expected, and they end up chest to chest.

“They  _ are _ cookies,” he says warmly, but doesn’t step away. 

“Right,” she says, heading off to find oven mitts. “Yep. Of course, yeah. I know that. I just mean, like, I did this! They’re my cookies and they look amazing! Am I rambling? I should shut up.”

“You don’t have to. I like listening to you.”

Kelsey looks up at him. There’s a fond look on his face that she doesn’t think is shipper googles related. 

It looks real.

The timer on the oven buzzes loudly, startling them both.

***

Kelsey’s cheeks are probably red as the poinsettia on either side of the fireplace. Alvin is waiting for her to open his gift, beaming with — she doesn’t want to say heart eyes, but. A serious case of heart eyes. Her family’s waiting too, watching, and it feels, like…

It feels like a lot.

Alvin offering her a small box, hardly bigger than her palm, waiting expectantly. In front of her family. Also waiting expectantly.

It feels boyfriendy, is what it feels like.

Her hands shake as she’s undoing the ribbon around the present. She lifts the lid, holding her breath, only to find a pair of beautiful gold earrings, shaped like —

“Is that cilantro?” she asks incredulously.

Alvin grins. 

“You remembered!” she exclaims.

It had seemed so simple back then, without the shipper goggles, without the feelings, because yes there are feelings, of course there are, she knows that now. She’d fed him cilantro, because he said he hated it, and it was just a fun bit.

“You don’t forget the first time a girl tries to poison you.”

***

“Merry Christmas,” Alvin says, joining her to sit on the back steps.

It’s late. Everyone’s gone to bed, and Kelsey went for air to get her thoughts back in order, to escape the Looks and insinuations from her family. The night is gorgeous, chilly even though it never really gets cold around here. The sky is clear and they can see stars. Her parents always go all out with the holidays, decorating even the backyard, and so with all the Christmas lights it seems like the hedges, the fence, the big tree in the yard, are also covered in stars. 

“Merry Christmas, Alvin.”

“I can’t thank you enough for bringing me here. I — your family’s a lot like mine.”

“You mean they would have teased us about the earrings and made us play twister until I fell on top of you?”

Alvin laughs. “Mom would probably be asking about our children’s names by now.”

“My area of expertise! I’ve named more than sixty babies by now, you know.”

“You can’t just pick our children’s names in a YouTube comment!”

“Touché.”

The laughter dies down on their lips and Kelsey leans her head on his shoulder. “I’m really happy you came.”

“Kelsey, I —”

Kelsey doesn’t need shipper goggles to realize this is her moment.

She cups his cheek and leans in.

Alvin tastes like chocolate chip cookies and happiness.

  
  



End file.
